A deck designed specifically for a hot tub requires additional engineering considerations. A standard 8’ x 8’ hot tub weighs approximately 5,000 lbs when full of water and people. This is much more weight than a typical deck frame is designed to support.
Where the deck sits depends on what engineering has to be done. If the hot tub is going to sit directly on the deck then the deck (at least that area) will have to be built using sturdier lumber spaced closer together with more and better supports. If you prefer, as many people do, to have the deck surround the hot tub there will have to be a separate frame to sit it on or depending on the height of the deck the tub may be able to sit on a concrete pad on the ground with the deck surrounding it.
Having the Hot Tub “sunken” into the deck allows easier entry and exit. The hot tub can be set all the way down to deck level or many prefer to have it 18 – 20 inches above the deck level so it is easier to step into. Raymer & Son Exteriors has been building Custom Vinyl Decks, Custom Composite Decks and Custom Wood Decks since 1998